care of afrormosia

[rrgane]

I am replacing the combing in my cockpit which was teak. after checking the price of teak i realized it was not a realistic option, and looked into alternatives. what i found in teak subsitutes were: afrormosia and iroko, and i also considered meranti and the more typical mahoganies.

well to make a short story shorter, all the i could find in the dimensions i needed was afrormosia, which is just as well as it is really pretty wood (the prettiest by far that i considered; and to my mind, equal to if not more attractive then teak itself).

even though afrormosia is quite often called 'african teak' it is not teak, and i am wondering what finishes i can use. the hardwood store suggested teak oil, which is probably what i will do, but i was wondering if it can be left natural as teak often is. i know that it will not 'go white' as teak does, and that's okay, but i fear if left natural might rot in the marine environment.

anyone have any experience with finishing this wood? it is also oft times called 'poor man's teak'.

[rrgane]

o! really? no one?

perhaps i posted this in the wrong forum?

i can't believe that no one has ever worked with this wood before?

[artbyjody]

Its not a really popular wood that is probably why.

Note working with:

Jason Parquet Specialist - timber wood flooring


Afrormosia has a medium stiffness, high crushing strength and medium shock resistance. The interlocked grain can affect machining. Afrormosia glues well and takes a good finish. It is very durable and extremely resistant to preservative treatment.

Afrormosia is used extensively where a very attractive, strong, stable and durable wood is required. It makes an attractive floor and is also used for boat building and marine piling.

So in other words - treat it like you would any other wood as it does not have the same oily aspect of actual teak, but same techniques for getting gloss etc with cetol etc should work...

[rrgane]

Originally Posted by artbyjody

...So in other words - treat it like you would any other wood as it does not have the same oily aspect of actual teak, but same techniques for getting gloss etc with cetol etc should work...

thanks artbyjoy.. i have having a heck of a time trying to google that wood as it is so often mispelled!

i wasn't sure what quality in teak allowed it to go natural, so i guess teak oil will be the way if i do not varnish it.

thanks!

randall

[artbyjody]

No problem - good luck with it and let us know how it goes

[TrueBlue]

Hundreds of links appeared for me when I Googled Afrormosia. Years ago, I had a client who requested this species for use as flooring for their custom home - but until then, I had never heard of it.

I don't have time today to read and compare all the varying opinions written about this "near-perfect" wood, but one columist's opinion caught my attention:

Today, illegal logging and continued illegal exportation threaten this tree with extinction. A continued market demand for this wood today encourages these illegal activities and will eliminate this species from the African forests in the next decade. Some African foresters have established small plantations to attempt to preserve a limited genetically diverse stock of these trees, but often political strife and illegal activities doom even these well-meaning activities.

Enjoy it while you can, since it may just be harvested to total extinction within the next 10 years.

[rrgane]

Originally Posted by TrueBlue

Hundreds of links appeared for me when I Googled Afrormosia.

yes that's true, however after clicking out the first 30 or so, i became frustrated as they all went to links that basically said something like "we also carry afrormosia" .. not real helpful..

a link i did find that i think everyone into wood and woodworking would find helpful is this:

Mechanical Properties of Wood

has most woods and has much useful info (such as MOE and MOR)

[CalebD]

Did you consider Ipe or Ironwood which is available in the states in decking format dimension lumber? Very oily and also difficult to work with. Teak is much softer than Ipe and easier to work with. which is so dense that it sinks in salt water.
Yes, teak is quite expensive as I suppose it should be. How long does it have to last for? Fiberglass might not be such an unappealing idea instead of wood.
Personally, I prefer the look of some wood (teak, mahogany etc.) on a boat to fiberglass but everything is a trade off.
Good luck with your 'Afrormosia'.

[LakeEscape]

Look for a wood called Cumara. Also known as Brazilian Teak. Often used for decking as a substitute for Ipe. Has the look and workability of teak at a fraction of the cost. Here is a link, or Google Cumara.

Cumaru Decking - Cumaru Deck - Cumaru Wood

Internet Lumber in Mocksville, NC will sell unfinished lumber as well as the decking. I prefer to buy unfinished, one side rif sawn for a square edge.

Fair winds

LakeEscape

[rrgane]

hi guys,

thanks for the recomendations .. but the wood is bought. so i am married to the afromorsia now..